


Severa's indulgence

by Garchomp445



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Gen, Makeup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-08-27
Packaged: 2018-04-17 12:02:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4665819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garchomp445/pseuds/Garchomp445
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severa runs out of one single item of makeup, forcing her to MAYBE be SLIGHTLY less pretty for a little while, and she freaks out, eventually making a deal with with devil, almost literally. She discovers much about Aversa's character just by watching her desperation for a friend she can slightly relate to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Severa's indulgence

**Author's Note:**

> Also, 60% of this was made at two in the morning, so it really is as bad as it looks.

Severa forces herself to stop scowling while patting her face with blush, knowing that if she frowns, the wrong parts of her face will be highlighted. The mascara is a chore, but it’s the only way to accentuate her horrible, stubby eyelashes, so she carefully brushes it on. Speaking of stubby, she’s almost out of her eyeliner, which has been worn almost to pieces. Chipping at it with her knife for such a long time means that she needs to replace it as soon as possible, lest she look as ugly as she feels. She sighs to a worryingly exhausted degree, finishes her makeup, then gets up. Maybe her pegasus wouldn’t object to a quick trip to town.

She leaves her tent, and immediately is faced with one of her largest problems since joining the shepherds. Lucina is over by the stables, receiving training from Robin in equestrianism. That girl with her perfect eyelashes, cooperative hair, and constant good looks no matter how much sweat, blood or tears streak down her face. Back in their world it was fine, there was no one who cared enough to make comparisons, and no time in which to do so. She sighs, then hides back in her tent, desperately trying to think of someone who she could borrow makeup from. They’re marching in just an hour, and she has no idea when they’ll be approaching another town, so she really needs to get this eyeliner.

Just, who could she get it from? Olivia, Virion, and Inigo look like her best options, but she REALLY hates Inigo right now, his fake compliments are just ANNOYING, Virion’s a creep, and Olivia would probably be almost as self conscious as Severa. Cherche might have some makeup, but if she really is naturally that pretty, it’d be extremely insulting to ask, the same reason she isn’t about to ask Libra. The Plegians DEFINITELY have makeup, but Tharja’s even creepier than Virion, and she doesn’t exactly feel comfortable asking the man who killed Emmeryn and started this whole mess in the first place, or the murderous vixen at his side. Maribelle would be another person to ask, but she wouldn’t even be polite enough to disguise her disgust, and would be a TOTAL jerk about it.

All right, so Olivia first. She carefully weaves through the tents to where Olivia usually sprints off to after getting embarrassed, which turns out to be yet another completely unadorned tent, similar to absolutely NO ONE she can think of. Her makeup is fresh and presentable, so she announces

“Hey Olivia! Are you home?”

“Eep! Sorry, but don’t come in!”

“I wasn’t planning to… I just have a TEENSY request.”

“Oh… erm, could this wait until later? I’m… just a little busy.”

“Well, could you at least tell me where Virion is? I NEED to get some eyeliner.”

“O-oh, you just want some… makeup?”

“Yeah. Any objections?”

While her last statement might’ve been a bit standoffish, Severa feels safe in the knowledge that Olivia was being at least just as rude by refusing to leave her tent, and exacerbates this by glaring at the blank canvas flap before her. She hears a slight chuckle from Olivia as she says

“Do you… usually have makeup with you at camp?”

“Uh, yeah, always. It’s the only way I can look presentable.”

Olivia is taken aback at Severa’s overwhelming unconfidence. The mercenary’s always so put together, too. Is it really like Inigo where it’s all just an act? Olivia tries to stammer out

“Oh, um, s-sorry, Severa, I didn’t mean to…”

Severa sighs, used to this fake concern. Soon she’ll be done here, and Olivia will never speak about it again. Olivia invisibly perks back up, then is deflated by Severa’s next biting statement

“Sure, sure, could I have some eyeliner?”

“Sorry, I don’t think anyone in this camp has any. You, erm… might have to go without it… sorry.”

Olivia hears a sharp, stress-filled inhale on the other side of the tent flap, and almost wishes that she had enough clothes on to try to comfort Severa, but she’d probably just end up hurting her feelings even more. The tent flap between the two of them divides not only their bodies but also their feelings, and Olivia realizes that with it there, she can’t help Severa.

Severa neatly responds, internally freaking out, but determined to keep her cool

“THANKS.”

Then sprints away, trying to suppress the overwhelming feeling of worthlessness that comes from potentially looking terrible. It doesn’t matter what kind of drastic measures she has to go to, she’ll find a way to get that eyeliner. She glances into the sky, and sighs heavily, as it’s now far too late to get to town, even on a pegasus. These mountainside camps are REALLY inconvenient. She begins pondering her options while meandering towards her tent, and as the sight of her upset and melancholic isn’t exactly unusual, Severa doesn’t even try to hide her scowl.

She could ask Maribelle, but if what Olivia said was true, then she probably doesn’t actually have any makeup, and the other person who definitely doesn’t have any, Sully, would be really funny to ask, but Severa isn’t a fan of getting beat up right before a long march. Which means her only real option is… Aversa. Based on the amount of face paint she wears, and her constant philandering with every male person in town, she is definitely someone who would have a lot of makeup. She might not be the most eager to share it, though, so Severa is expecting to have to stoop to some serious lows as she plods even less eagerly towards Aversa’s tent.

Arriving at the ominous tent, Severa nearly imagines a dark cloud hanging over the entire place. It certainly seems like Aversa’s attempted to make one, with the shimmering Plegian silks adorning its surface. She stops in front of it to yell inside, and really wishes that someone had figured out a better way to figure out if someone was in their tent. With an uncharacteristically cautious shout, she says

“Hey Aversa, are you in there?”

“Who wishes to know?”

Aversa was perusing tactical manuscripts to have some ammunition in case the opportunity to humiliate Robin came forth, but someone actually approaching her tent? This meant that either the camp was under a very casual attack, or this person needed something, badly.

“Uh, me? Severa?”

Who in the world is this Severa? She sounds very young, but hardened, rough, so probably one of the children from the future. Still, to assume that Aversa would know her name! What arrogance this one possesses.

“I am not about to memorize the names of a batch of worthless curs who won’t even give me the time of day.”

Severa flinches at her stark response, but curtails her snarky remark when she realizes the true bitterness behind that voice. She can certainly relate to some of Aversa’s feelings, but it’s clear the dark flier isn’t here to make friends, so she keeps it businesslike, saying

“Fine! Could I have some eyeliner?”

The child’s voice isn’t as biting, for some reason. Perhaps she enjoys being called worthless? Haha, that and her arrogance is one thing she’d have in common with Gangrel. Maybe this person would be interesting to keep around. She tuts slightly, since she certainly has enough makeup to spare, but just asking for it? What’s the fun in that? Aversa decides to play some games with this little girl, and says

“What do I get in return?”

“Six gold is enough at the market.”

Aversa smiles behind the tent, the trap is set, so she slyly says

“A few gold coins won’t be enough, I’m afraid, how about you come in here to speak of the job I’ll give you.”

Here’s the real kicker, Severa thinks as she sighs and steps through the tent flap, expecting the first thing to come out of Aversa’s mouth to be some ridiculous gambit about covering Chrom’s bed in needles or something. What she doesn’t expect is Aversa’s face to be full of surprise, gaping at the sight before her.

What a pretty sight. Aversa thought she had a talent for makeup, but this girl was clearly an artisan. The outline of her eyes was nearly perfect, with the same wing outline she applies to herself, but slightly subtler and more consistent. The blush is perfect, accenting her face without hiding it, it’s just such a shame that the effort is completely wasted with Severa’s sour expression. The angry frown just ruins the whole thing. Aversa realizes too late that she’s spent far too long staring at the girl’s face, and coughs awkwardly to ease Severa’s nearly incredulous face before snapping

“You completely RUIN your own makeup, little girl,” Aversa smiles when Severa narrows her eyes at that remark, but continues with “ and to think all you need to do is smile more.”

“Ugh. Sure, but that p-petty insult isn’t all you wanted.”

“Of course, of course, but now I’ve found a much better use for you. We could get to the first one if you still want to, though, tehehe.”

Seeing Severa cringe is more than worth implying whatever the girl thought she was. Truthfully, she hadn’t yet decided what to do with her, but this much leverage over someone with that much skill? This truly was going to be fun. Aversa leans forward slightly, accentuating her height advantage on Severa before commanding

“Just sit down, dear, Iet’s hash out exactly what I have in mind for you.”

As soon as Aversa’s back was turned, Severa rolled her eyes. The older woman was clearly making all of this stuff up on the fly, and was way too excited about having someone just to talk to about makeup, clearly having failed at procuring any friends at all. At least this cot is really soft compared to anyone else’s, but looking at the expensive silks and furs that it’s adorned with, it’s clear that Aversa had gone back to her old ways. Severa is feeling more and more sorry for Aversa by the moment, and decides then and there just to end this charade and expose what she knows. It’s so frustrating seeing someone lying about their own emotions! Just come out and say it, seriously. Severa watches as Aversa turns back around with a very, very long list, then cackles

“For your eyeliner, all you’ll have to do is apply my makeup for me. It’s SUCH a pain to do day after day, I can hardly get any studying done in the mornings.”

Aversa gives Severa an unconvincing pout, and smiles as the younger girl glares up at her. She hands Severa the paper, a lengthy listing of every single bit of makeup Aversa puts on in the morning. It includes black nail polish, two different kinds of skin creams, a few blushes, eyeliner, the purple face paint in very specific patterns, among a few extra notes, like how her white locks should be knotted into her hairnet and crown. Scrolling her eyes down the listing, Severa slowly begins to smile, looking more and more smug with each glance stolen up to Aversa’s frankly perplexed face. She says

“That’s all you have? This will add, like, MAYBE twenty minutes to my daily routine, and that’s INCLUDING the trek this far away from camp.”

“What?!”

“Ha, thanks for the eyeliner, at least. What time do you want me to show up?”

Vaguely confused, but still in control, Aversa seizes the situation by saying

“7:00, sharp. Also, you can only use the eyeliner in here. It’ll take a while for you to earn my trust, and even then, I quite like having you squirm under my heel.”

Severa doesn’t even try to disguise rolling her eyes this time. Aversa isn’t anywhere near as in control of this situation as she wants to be, and is very desperate to have another person who understands makeup like she does. Of course, it must be plainly obvious why Severa wants the eyeliner so badly, so Severa spares the theatrics for her exit, just bitterly saying

“I’ll only be squirming until the next town, so don’t enjoy yourself too much.”

“Oh, you just try to stop me.”

Aversa says slyly to Severa’s retreating form. As the mercenary leaves, Aversa reflects on what just happened. Severa was impressively desperate to acquire any sort of eyeliner, so it begs the question of what exactly she needs it for. If she’s anything like Aversa herself, seducing the weak-willed men and pocketing their coin, keeping this prodigy under her heel could be an even more important goal than she thought… Perhaps an intelligence gathering campaign is afoot…

Severa smacks herself upside the head. She shouldn’t have given Aversa so much leeway, but she really needs that eyeliner. Who could she even talk to about this, though? Someone else who has experience being coerced by Aversa… but there’s only one person who fits that description… OH GAWDS NO. She’s done with Plegians for the day, especially since they march out in just a few minutes.

 

 


End file.
